Rear Admiral R. Ichimaru of the Japanese Navy sends this note to Roosevelt. I have one word to give you upon the termination of this battle.
Approximately a century has elapsed since Nippon, after Commodore Perry's
entry to Shimoda, became widely affiliated with the countries of the
world. During this period of intercourse Nippon has met with
many national crises as well as the undesired Sino-Japanese
War, Russo-Japanese War, the World War, the Manchurian
Incident, and the China Incident. Nippon is now,
unfortunately, in a state of open conflict with your country. Judging Nippon from just this side of the screen you may slander our nation
as a yellow peril, or a blood thirsty nation or maybe a protoplasm
of military clique.
Though you may use the surprise attack on Pearl Harbour as your primary
material for propaganda, I believe you, of all persons, know best
that you left Nippon no other method in order to save herself from
self-destruction.
His Imperial Highness, as clearly shown in the "Rescript of the
Founder of the Empire" "Yosei"(Justice), "ChŌki" (Sagacity) and "Sekkei" (Benevolence), contained in the above three fold doctrine,
rules in the realization of "Hakko-ichiu" (the universe under
His Sacred Rule) in His Gracious mind.
The realization of which means the habitation of their respective
fatherlands under their own customs and traditions, thus insuring
the everlasting peace of the world.
Emperor Meiji's "The four seas of the world that are united
in brotherhood will know no high waves nor wind" (composed during
the Russo-Japanese War) won the appraisal of your uncle, Theodore
Roosevelt as you yourself know.
We, the Nippon-jin, though may follow all lines of trade, it is through
our each walk of life that we support the Imperial doctrine. We, the
soldiers of the Imperial Fighting Force take up arms to further the
above stated "doctrine".
Though we, at the time, are externally taken by your air raids and
shelling backed by your material superiority, spiritually we are
burning with delight and enjoying the peace of mind.
This peacefulness of mind, the common universal stigma of the Nippon-jin,
burning with fervour in the upholding of the Imperial Doctrine
may be impossible for you and Churchill to understand. I hereupon
pitying your spiritual feebleness pen a word or two.
Judging from your actions, white races especially you Anglo-Saxons at the
sacrifice of the coloured races are monopolizing the fruits of the
world.
In order to attain this end, countless machinations were used to
cajole the yellow races, and to finally deprive them of any
strength. Nippon in retaliation to your imperialism tried to free
the oriental nations from your punitive bonds, only to be faced by
your dogged opposition. You now consider your once friendly Nippon an harmful existence to your luscious plan, a bunch of barbarians
that must be exterminated. The completion of this Greater East Asia
War will bring about the birth of the East Asia Co-Prosperity
Area, this in turn will in the near future result in the everlasting
peace of the world, if, of course, is not hampered upon by your
unending imperialism.
Why is it that you, an already flourishing nation, nip in bud the
movement for the freedom of the suppressed nations of the
East. It is no other than to return to the East that which belongs
to the East.
It is beyond our contemplation when we try to understand your
stinted narrowness. The existence of the East Asia Co-Prosperity
sphere does not in anyway encroach upon your safety as a nation, on
the contrary, will sit as a pillar of world peace ensuring the
happiness of the world. His Imperial Majesty's true aim is no other
than the attainment of this everlasting peace.
Studying the condition of the never ending racial struggle resulting from
mutual misunderstanding of the European countries, it is not
difficult to feel the need of the everlasting universal peace.
Present Hitler's crusade of "His Fatherland" is brought about by no other
than the stupidity of holding only Germany, the loser of the World
War, solely responsible for the 1914-1918 calamity and the
deprivation of Germany's re-establishment.
It is beyond my imagination of how you can slander Hitler's program and
at the same time cooperate with Stalin's "Soviet Russia" which has
as its principle aim the "socialization" of the World at large.
If only the brute force decides the ruler of the world, fighting will
everlastingly be repeated, and never will the world know peace nor
happiness.
Upon the attainment of your barbaric world monopoly never forget to
retain your mind the failure of your predecessor President Wilson at
his heights.
| |
(注) |
１． |
上記の ”A Note to
Roosevelt（英文「ルーズベルトニ与フル書」市丸海軍少将）”
は、平川祐弘著『肥前佐賀文庫001
米国大統領への手紙 市丸利之助伝』（出門堂、2006年5月30日初版発行）に記載してある本文によって記述しました。 |
|
|
| |
|
２． |
この手紙の日本文は資料698に、漢字に読み仮名をつけた本文は資料699に、英文の手紙は資料700にあります。
→ 資料698「ルーズベルトニ与フル書」市丸海軍少将
→ 資料699「ルーズベルトニ与フル書」市丸海軍少将（読み仮名つき） |
|
|
| |
|
３． |
英文の市丸海軍少将の「ルーズベルトニ与フル書」（A
Note to Roosevelt）は、日本人二世の三上弘文二等兵曹が英訳したものです。平川祐弘はその著書『米国大統領への手紙 市丸利之助伝』の中で、「三上は彼の生涯の力を傾けてこの手紙を訳した。生涯の力を傾け尽したといっても過言ではない。三上はその直後の三月十八日、六〇キロ発電所壕入口で戦死してしまうからである」と書いておられます。 |
|
|
| |
|
４． |
『ルーズベルトニ与フル書』の発見と米国の新聞に掲載されるまで
米国海兵隊『硫黄島作戦史』（Tha Iwo Jima Operation prepared by Capt.
Cliffoed) によると、『ルーズベルトニ与フル書』の発見は、1945年3月26日午前5時15分から行われた日本軍最後の反撃の後、硫黄島北部の洞穴
cave
の中から見つかった、とされているそうである。しかし、上記の『米国大統領への手紙 市丸利之助伝』の著者・平川祐弘氏のお考えでは、『ルーズベルトニ与フル書』の日英両文は村上治重通信参謀が腹に巻いて出撃し、３月26日その遺体から米軍が発見した、と推定されるという。
その事実は1945年4月4日、米軍従軍記者エメット・クロージャ―によって打電された。その記事の末尾に記者は次のようにつけ加えた。
「市丸少将この手紙を訳させると日文英文各一通ずつを一海軍士官に渡した。その士官は3月25日から26日にかけての夜の間の最後の「万歳突撃」で第二飛行場の縁まで来て戦死した。手紙は26日朝見つかった。」
電報は、1945年７月11日の『ニューヨーク・ヘラルド・トリビューン』紙に、「死に臨んだ日本の一提督の米国大統領宛ての手紙」（Letter
of a Japanese Admiral, About to Die, to U.S.
President）という見出しで報ぜられた。同日付の『デンヴァ―・ポスト』は「ルーズベルト、日本（ニップ）提督の書簡中で叱責さる」（Roosevelt
Was Lectured in Nip Admiral's Letter）という見出しで市丸少将の手紙を転載した。
（以上は、平川祐弘著『米国大統領への手紙 市丸利之助伝』によって記述しました。詳しくは同書を参照してください。） |
|
|
| |
|
５． |
フリー百科事典『ウィキペディア』に「市丸利之助」の項があります。
→『ウィキペディア』
→ 市丸利之助 |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
トップページへ